Process of leaching gold
US8388730B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 3, 2008 |
| Grant date | Mar 5, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 7, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P10/20
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A process of leaching gold comprising the steps of: a) leaching copper from copper sulfide ore material that contains gold or contains silicate ore containing gold until the copper grade is reduced to 7.9 wt % or less; b) mixing the resulting material having a copper grade of 7.9 wt % or less with a gold leaching solution selected from the group consisting of a first solution containing chloride ions and ferric ions, and a second solution containing chloride ions and iron ions, the iron ions having been oxidized to trivalent ferric ions by air bubbled into the second solution; c) adjusting the pH of the gold leaching solution to 1.9 or less with stirring to leach at least gold in the material into the gold leaching solution by the oxidative activity of the ferric ions contained in the gold leaching solution, wherein the concentration of gold is reduced by selectively removing gold from part or all of the gold leaching solution during gold leaching. This process efficiently leaches at least copper and gold from a copper sulfide ore.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.